Fuel



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LE Purim, or MOMBASA, BRITISH EAST AFRICA, ASSIGNOR T0 rowan ALCOHOL LIMITED, or LONDON, E AND... a I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Ln PETrr, a

citizen of the French-Republic, residing at larly adaptable for use in internal-combus' tion engines.

.With some fuels which, upon combustion, give risento acidic bodies, it has been pro posed to use certain basic additions for the purpose of neutralizing these acidic bodies. hus ammonia has been so employed, one known fuel consisting of alcohol, ether and this base, together with a trace of white arsenic, presumably-for denaturation. The

I ammonia has been introduced in the gaseous tionable by form, and alternatively in concentrated aqueous solutions, but in both cases is objecreason of its action on metallic parts, suc as those of copper, nickel and aluminium. To avoid the disadvantages associated with ammonia, trimethylamin has been. substituted, .and it has similarly been pro osed to improve the qualities of liquid fue s by passing into them ammonia derivatives of hydrocarbons, such as methylamin, under pressure. The amins are for the most part very readily soluble in alcohol, and'the use of pressure results in a strong solution, and'the presence in the fuel in substantial proportions of these powerful bases is not only detrimental, but quite unnecessary. The odor'o'fthe fuel is objectionable, and that from the'exhjaust of the en ine particularly'so,fj a disadvantage whic is also associated with theme of ammonia. It is the purpose of'ithis' invention to provide a fuel in which the-production of acidic bodies is inhibited, and the neutralization of such as are formed readily efi'ected, whlle at the. same time the objectionable odor from the engines exhaust is obviated, these advantages being attained without reduction in .the explosive power of the fuel.

According to the present invention, in the production of a liquid fuel, such as a fuel FUEL.

1,377,992. Specification of Letters Patent.

' No Drawing. v

for internal-combustion engines, there is employed a comparatively small proportion of one or more aliphatic amins, together with one or more esters of formic acid, such as ethyl ,or 'methyl-formate. Preferably methylamin, are-employed. The invention is particularly adaptable to fuelsfwhich consist of or contain alcohol and ether, and according to one embodiment-of thecinvention the improved fuel comprises ethyl alcohol, ether, an aliphatic amin, ormixture of amins, and a formyl-estenfS'uch asethyl or methyl-formate' Where more than'one amin is-employed, these need not belong tothe same aliphatic series, for example, avmixture of methylamins and ethyl'amins may be utilized. A natural source of such a mixture is vinasse, a by-product in the manufacture of beet may be obtained from herring brine. The

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed September 18, 1919. Serial No. 324,296.

methyla'inins, for example monoand disugar. Similarly. a mixture of methylarnins I addition of the bases may be made in" any,

suitable .way. Thus, gaseous methylamin may be dissolved in the other ingredients I in the, liquid form may be added.

in the neighborhood of 0.5 to 2%. The

ofthe fuel,suchas the mixture. of alcohol and ether, or mono-methylamin 4 The proportions of 'amins used depend upon circumstances, such as the naturexof esters may be used in 'approximately zthe same proportlons as the "31111118, or some times in rather larger amounts. Generally it will be found that a smaller proportion of ester than of amin should be used,"advantageously half as much of a 50% mixture of methyland ethyl-formats.

-As illustrative of the 'nvention lowing examples may be cited Per cent. by weight.-

Mono-methy lamin .Q. 1

Ethylor methyl-formate (or both) the fol- Per cent. by weight.

Ethyl alcohol 65 Ether 34 Monoor di-methylamin 0.5 Ethyl-formate 0.5

III.

- Per cent. byweight. Ethyl alcohol 88%-39 Ether 57 Dior tri-methylamin 3 Ethyl-formate 141% the use of a much larger proportion of i ether in such mixtures than would otherwise be possible. The use of formyl-esters in requisite proportions obviates any 0bjectionable odor associated with the use of the fuels, and also inhibits the production of deleterious acidic bodies produced by combustion.

The preferred order of mixing is first to dissolve the mono-methylamin in the alcohol, then to add the ethylor methyl-formate, and finally to add the ether.

The proportion of ether to alcohol and consequently the proportions of amin and esteremployed therewith can conveniently be varied to suit the nature of the engine 1. The herein described fuel composition- Which comprises a combustible liquid containing an aliphatic amin and a formyl ester.

Q; The herein described fuel composition which comprises a combustible liquid containing a methylamin and a formyl ester.

" 3; The herein described fuel composition which consists of a mixture of alcohol and ether containing an aliphatic amin and a formyl ester.

4. The herein described fuel composition whichconsists of a combustible liquid containing van aliphatic amin in the Proportion of 0.5-8 per cent, and a formyl ester in the proportion of 0.5-2 per cent.

5. The herein described fuel composition which consists of 38-70 per cent. of ethyl alcohol, 60-30 per cent. of ether, 0.5-3 per cent. of a methylamin and 0.5-2 per cent. of a. formyl ester, by Weight. 4

6. The herein described fuel composition which consists of 52 per cent. ethyl alcohol, 46 per cent. ether, 1.0 per cent. of monomethylamin and 1.0 per cent. ethyl formate, by Weight.

7. The herein described fuel composition which consists of ethyl alcohol in excess of 35 per cent., ether in excess of 30 per cent., mono-methylamin in excess of 0.5 per cent., ethyl formate in excess of 0.5per cent. by Weight. v y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES LE PETIT. 

